With heavy rains resulting in floods in Kerala, flood relief camps have been set up for affected people. Though the rains have abated, all districts are on high alert.
Speaking to TNM, Relief Commissioner P H Kurian said that approximately 30,000 people have been moved to 300 camps across districts. Their houses were inundated in flood water. “The Health Department has been sending officials and doctors on visits to the camp”, he said.
Kurian said that while the situation is getting better, some regions are still struggling with problems.
“Kottayam is dealing with severe inundation, while Thrissur, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha are affected by sea erosion”, he said. “However, the number of people affected will drastically come down in the next two-three days”.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Cabinet has decided to provide families in the relief camps with Rs 1000 each, so that they may buy basic utilities such as clothes and utensils. Attingal MP A Sampath told the Lok Sabha that 12,000 hectares of farming land had been affected. He said that more than 300 pucca houses had been destroyed in the rain while thousands of other houses had been damaged in the rains.
Around 18 people have died from July 9 and six are missing due to floods. Water logging has affected road traffic in parts of the state.
Train services have also been affected due to high water levels under railway bridges. Safety inspections are routinely underway at such bridges, sequentially permitting train movement.
The Indian Meteorological Department in its Tuesday broadcast had said that there was a possibility of high tides (3.5 metre to 4.9 metre) on the Kerala and Lakshadweep shores.
The centre had also warned on Tuesday that fishermen should avoid venturing into sea on Kerala and Lakshadweep shores, in the middle and south-west and north part of the Arabian sea for the next 24 hours.
Heavy rains are expected in parts of the state until Wednesday, while some places are expected to see heavy rains through Sunday.